Digi Pay: Leveraging Blockchain Technology To Improve Global Payment Solutions.

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Intro:

In this case study, we will explore how the implementation of blockchain technology has revolutionized global payment solutions. As a product designer, my objective was to leverage blockchain’s inherent advantages to create a secure, transparent, and efficient payment system that addresses the challenges faced in traditional cross-border transactions.

The Problem:

In my design process, I always prioritize gaining a comprehensive understanding of the problem at hand. For this case study, I embarked on an in-depth exploration of the challenges associated with global transactions, encompassing both traditional and crypto-based approaches. Through my research, I discovered that a significant number of individuals faced difficulties in establishing efficient and accessible methods for sending and receiving money worldwide. Existing solutions often proved burdensome, prohibitively expensive, and occasionally exhibited biases based on racial profiling, contributing to negative user experiences.

The Challenge: A Product that made global transactions easier and better. Allowing people to receive payments from anywhere around the world.

In an increasingly digital world, global transactions have become complex and challenging, particularly for remote workers. Each fiat currency has its own regulations and restrictions on international transactions, creating hurdles for individuals and businesses. Our task was to design a user-friendly solution, called Digi, that leverages crypto tokens to simplify and enhance global transactions. Through intuitive design, our goal was to address common issues and improve the overall user experience in the web 3 space.

Goals

Intuitive Onboarding Process: Our first objective was to design an intuitive onboarding process that enables users to easily create an account and begin transacting seamlessly. By eliminating complex and time-consuming procedures, we aimed to reduce friction and enhance user adoption.

1. Streamlined Transaction Process: We recognized the need to improve the transaction, purchase, and withdrawal processes for both crypto-to-fiat and crypto-to-crypto transactions. Our aim was to simplify these processes, making them more efficient and user-friendly. By doing so, we intended to empower users to transact with ease across different currencies and blockchain networks.
2. Security and Accessibility: Designing a secure and accessible product was a top priority. We focused on implementing robust security measures to safeguard user funds and personal information. Simultaneously, we aimed to ensure that the product was accessible to a wide range of users, including those with varying levels of technical expertise.
3. Improved Authentication Process: We recognized the importance of a smooth and reliable authentication process. Our objective was to design an authentication system that provided a balance between security and user convenience. By implementing user-friendly authentication methods, such as biometrics or multi-factor authentication, we aimed to enhance the overall user experience and instill trust in the platform.

My Role:

In this project, I held the responsibility of designing the product from the ideation stage to production. Collaborating closely with two product managers, we formed a well-rounded team that combined expertise in both the business aspect and understanding of users’ pain points. Additionally, we worked alongside a team of skilled developers and brand designers to bring the product to life.

Throughout the project, my role encompassed the following key responsibilities:

1. Ideation and Conceptualization: I actively participated in brainstorming sessions and ideation workshops to generate innovative concepts and ideas. Drawing upon my design expertise, I contributed to shaping the overall vision and direction of the product, considering both business requirements and user pain points.
2. User-Centered Design: Collaborating with the product manager focused on understanding users’ pain points, I ensured that the product design catered to the needs and preferences of the target audience. Through user research, interviews, and usability testing, I gained valuable insights to inform the design decisions and iteratively improve the user experience.
3. Prototyping and Iteration: I led the creation of initial prototypes, transforming ideas into tangible design solutions. These prototypes were used for user testing, feedback collection, and iterative improvements. I worked closely with developers to ensure the feasibility and implementation of design features, considering technical constraints and opportunities.
4. Collaboration with Product Managers: Working alongside the product managers, I actively engaged in discussions to align the design strategy with business goals. By understanding market trends, competition, and revenue models, I translated these insights into design decisions that balanced user needs and business requirements.
5. Collaboration with Developers and Brand Designers: In close collaboration with the development team, I provided design specifications, assets, and guidelines to ensure the accurate implementation of the user interface and interactions. I also collaborated with brand designers to ensure a cohesive and visually appealing product that aligned with the overall brand identity.
6. Usability Testing and Feedback Incorporation: I facilitated usability testing sessions to gather feedback and insights from users. This data was then analyzed and incorporated into the design, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with user expectations.

Design Process

During the definition period of the project, I conducted extensive research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem we were addressing. This research encompassed multiple aspects, starting from business and competitive challenges, followed by identifying the target users of the product.

Business and Competitive Challenges:

To grasp the context and identify key challenges in the global payment solutions landscape, I conducted research on existing business and competitive factors. This involved analyzing industry reports, market trends, and studying the strategies of competitors. By understanding the competitive landscape, we gained valuable insights into market gaps and potential opportunities for our product. Some of this insight were

1. Authentication
2. Conversion of tokens
3. Conversion of tokens to fiat currencies
4. Charges
5. Speed
6. Trust

Product Users

The target audience for the product primarily comprised individuals between the ages of 18 to 60. Extensive data analysis indicated that this age range exhibited the highest frequency of product usage within our target market.

By narrowing down our focus to this specific demographic, i aimed to tailor the product’s design, features, and user experience to meet their unique needs and preferences. We recognized that this age range encompassed a wide range of individuals with varying levels of technological familiarity and financial requirements and utilized them down to inform my design decisions.

Throughout the design process, i took into account the diverse characteristics and expectations of this target audience. This involved conducting user research, usability testing, and incorporating user feedback from individuals within the identified age range. By doing so, i ensured that the design catered effectively to their specific requirements and provided a seamless and intuitive user experience.

Quantitative Analysis

During the analysis phase, I conducted a quantitative analysis by reaching out to individuals who had experience using crypto platforms for accepting payments, as well as those who used traditional financial solutions such as TransferWise or Western Union. The aim was to gain insights into their thought processes and experiences while using these applications.

Key areas of focus during the analysis included studying their mental models when performing transactions, identifying the most frequently used services, and understanding the challenges they encountered while using these services.

An overview of the research results revealed the following key findings:

1. Adoption of Crypto Platforms: The research indicated a growing interest in and adoption of crypto platforms for accepting payments. A notable number of participants expressed a willingness to explore crypto-based solutions as an alternative to traditional financial services.
2. Mental Models and Transaction Processes: The analysis delved into understanding users’ mental models when performing transactions. It provided insights into their expectations, preferences, and pain points during the transaction process. This information was valuable in designing an intuitive onboarding process and streamlining the transaction flow.
3. Preferred Services: Participants’ feedback shed light on the most commonly used services within the crypto and traditional financial space. This knowledge helped prioritize and refine the features and functionalities of the product, ensuring that it aligned with users’ preferences and met their specific needs.
4. Challenges Faced: The research identified various challenges users encountered while using both crypto platforms and traditional financial solutions. These challenges included issues related to security, high transaction fees, complicated interfaces, and slow transaction processing times. Understanding these pain points allowed us to design solutions that addressed these challenges and provided a more user-friendly experience.

With these data and the knowledge gained concerning the problem I was able to draw out the users needs and then ideate on the features and functionalities that might work best for them

Users Needs

After conducting both qualitative and quantitative analyses with the users, I successfully identified their most fundamental needs. These needs can be summarized as follows:

1. Ease of Buying Stable Coins for Transactions: Users expressed a desire to easily acquire stable coins, which would enable them to perform transactions efficiently. This highlights the importance of providing a seamless and user-friendly process for purchasing stable coins, ensuring that users can quickly and securely acquire the necessary assets for their transactions.
2. Ability to Invest in the Crypto Space: Users expressed an interest in investing in cryptocurrencies. They desired a platform that would allow them to confidently and conveniently invest in various cryptocurrencies, expanding their investment portfolios. This highlights the significance of providing a robust and accessible investment feature that empowers users to participate in the crypto space.
3. Simplified Management and Tracking of Crypto Investments and Transactions: Users emphasized the need for an intuitive solution that enables them to easily manage and track their crypto investments and transactions. This includes functionalities such as portfolio tracking, transaction history, and real-time updates on market prices. Providing a comprehensive and user-friendly interface for managing and monitoring crypto assets is crucial to meet users’ expectations and facilitate stress-free management of their investments.

Style Guide

Features & Functionalities

With the valuable insights obtained from the research phase and a deep understanding of the users’ needs, I proceeded to design features that would effectively address their pain points. Collaborating with the team, we brainstormed innovative solutions to provide a seamless and user-centric experience. The following are some of the key features we developed

Onboarding & Authentication

Recognizing the complexity and confusion associated with the web 3 space, I placed a strong emphasis on creating an easy, empathetic, and intuitive onboarding and authentication process for both first-time and recurrent users. Authentication was a core issue we aimed to address, as it is widely known that creating and securing a crypto account can be a challenging and daunting task.

During the research phase, a key finding revealed that a significant portion of crypto users were uncomfortable with the traditional seed phrase method. Furthermore, a notable number of users had experienced the unfortunate situation of losing access to their accounts due to difficulties in remembering their seed phrases. To tackle this issue, I implemented alternative authentication methods to enhance security and streamline the user experience.

One approach we adopted was allowing users to secure their account with a stronger password. This familiar and widely-used method offered convenience and simplicity, eliminating the need for users to manage and remember complex seed phrases.

Additionally, we leveraged biometric authentication methods such as Face ID/Touch ID as an alternative to seed phrases. This not only improved security but also provided users with a sense of familiarity and ease of use. Users could authenticate their identity effortlessly and efficiently, enhancing the overall user experience.

To further enhance security measures, we implemented the practice of setting up and regularly updating PIN codes and two factor auth from google. Users were required to set up unique PIN codes for their accounts, which needed to be changed every 30 days and confirm each transactions with a their pin and google 2 factor authentication code. This measure ensured stronger protection against unauthorized access and provided users with peace of mind regarding the security of their funds and transactions.

Onboarding

Exploring the Homepage

Homepage

Designing the Homepage for the product was no small feat I had to Incorporate an easy and intuitive layout to the design and to Display the Most Important and used Features to the users.

First off it shows the users their available balance, so that they can see how much they have in a glance then i take it a step ahead by breaking it up into portfolio balance and wallet balance to give the users a clear breakdown on their funds and its Position.

Then we have the purchase and withdrawal button, the design decision behind this move is the fact that while testing the first iteration people found it hard to credit their wallet and also withdraw, due to that fact i had to make it easier for the users to find the purchase and withdrawal button, so I kept it in the home screen to make it more accessible for the users.

Down By the navigation it is being filled with a button that links to the transfer page that is accompanied by a portfolio buttons that gives the users a clear overview of their portfolio.

The Purchase & Withdrawal Functionality.

Overcoming the challenges associated with global payments and exploring blockchain technology was an enlightening journey that deepened my understanding and passion for the space. As part of the solution, Digi leverages an automated peer-to-peer (P2P) system similar to platforms like Buycoin to facilitate the conversion of users’ local currencies to USD Tether (USDT).

The P2P system operates by connecting users who hold USDT and wish to sell with users who have their local currencies and are interested in purchasing USDT. This automated matching process enables seamless and efficient transactions, allowing users to easily buy or sell USDT within the platform.

By implementing this P2P system, Digi simplifies the process of acquiring USDT, a stablecoin pegged to the value of the US dollar. Users can convert their local currency to USDT, which serves as a reliable and widely accepted medium for global transactions. This approach eliminates the need for users to navigate complex exchanges or engage in multiple transactions to access the desired stablecoin.

The use of a P2P system not only enhances accessibility but also promotes liquidity within the platform. Users can confidently transact with other participants, ensuring a continuous flow of buy and sell orders. This approach provides a dynamic and user-driven ecosystem that facilitates global transactions and supports the liquidity of USDT.

The Transfer Feature

transfer feature images

One of the key functionalities we developed in the project to improve global transactions was the ability for users to transfer and receive funds. After purchasing the token, users can seamlessly transfer funds to other users or receive funds from individuals or organizations around the world.

The transfer functionality enables users to initiate secure and efficient transactions within the platform. Users can easily send funds to other users by providing the recipient’s wallet address and specifying the desired amount. This process leverages the underlying blockchain technology to ensure transparency, immutability, and security throughout the transaction.

On the receiving end, users can conveniently receive funds from others by sharing their own wallet address. This simplifies the process of receiving payments from different sources, regardless of their geographical location. By providing their wallet address, users can easily receive funds and have them credited to their account, enabling seamless global transactions.

The development of this transfer and receive functionality significantly improves the user experience and facilitates global payments. It eliminates the need for traditional intermediaries and complex procedures associated with cross-border transactions. Instead, users can leverage the platform’s functionality to send and receive funds directly, reducing costs, enhancing speed, and increasing accessibility.

Portfolio

portfolio

The Portfolio Functionality allows users buy and sell crypto currencies, this feature was designed to help introduce the user to a more user friendly experience when it comes to purchasing and managing crypto asset so people with minimal knowledge on how crypto and blockchain works can be introduced to the space and learn by experience on how to manage crypto assets.

Complementary Features

During the design process, based on insights gotten from the testing phase several additional features were developed to further enhance the user experience and provide valuable functionalities. Two notable features that emerged are the Next of Kin authentication and the Feed feature.

1. Next of Kin Authentication: Recognizing the importance of asset recovery and addressing the potential scenario of users losing access to their accounts or assets, the Next of Kin authentication feature was implemented. This feature allows users to designate a trusted individual, such as a family member or friend, as their Next of Kin. In the unfortunate event of the user’s incapacitation or inability to access their account, the designated Next of Kin can initiate the account recovery process on their behalf. This added layer of security and asset recovery mechanism provides users with peace of mind and ensures their digital assets are safeguarded.
2. Feed Feature: Acknowledging the complexity and ever-evolving nature of the web 3 space, the Feed feature was introduced to educate users and keep them informed about the latest developments, trends, and news within the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. This feature provides curated content, including articles, tutorials, industry insights, and updates on market trends. By offering a dedicated feed within the platform, users can stay informed, expand their knowledge, and make informed decisions about their crypto investments. This feature aims to bridge the knowledge gap and empower users with the necessary information to navigate the web 3 space effectively.

Takeaway

Digi was Definitely and amazing experience from the amazing amount of articles i read to the research process to the multiple UI iterations and decisions. They were a few things i learned across the road which were the fact that

1. Web 3 is definitely going to be a game changer I'm talking out of the perspective of NFTs and Metaverse but in our everyday life, it would give us a better structure in banking & Finance, Health, Economics, History, Mathematics, the list is endless and it capabilities limitless. Even though all these seem bleak but we are already seeing the foundations and possibility of web 3.
2. Crypto currency is going to change the world, this is pretty obvious really looking at how much investments and attention has been directed towards that area.
3. Africa Stand to benefit the most from the current Web 3 innovation, ranging from talent to African creatives getting more recognition to the Africans creating amazing products like buycoins, lazerpay, fluidcoins and betdemand to improve peoples life and give them a chance to level the financial playing field.

Thanks you for reading my case study . I would appreciate any feedback from you whether it’s concerning my methodology, writing or my design, or any way you think I should improve. Please don't forget to clap👏🏾 for me if you love my design and this documentation.

Send a mail to me 📩@adesinasamuel18@gmail.com or Twitter, if you’ll like to collaborate or have a chat.